Speeches
Pelosi’s Tribute to Chairwoman Millender-McDonald
04/23/2007
Thank you, Madam
Speaker.
I thank our dear friend,
Congresswoman Watson, for bringing us together around this very sad and
necessary resolution today.
On behalf of all Members of
Congress, I rise to pay tribute to Chairwoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, who
passed away Saturday night. I offer the deepest sympathies to her family who
loved her so dearly -- her husband, James McDonald Jr., her five children, and
her five grandchildren.
As the first African American
woman to chair a committee in Congress, Juanita Millender-McDonald was a
trailblazer, always advocating for the full participation of all Americans in
the success and prosperity of our country. She was a strong defender of the
right of every eligible voter to have full access to the polls, and a tireless
proponent of fair elections that ensured that every vote would be
counted.
As Chair of the House
Administration Committee, Chairwoman Millender-McDonald's deep commitment to
diversity was manifested in her actions on hiring and contracting within the
House of Representatives. She enjoyed her role as the “Mayor” of Capitol Hill,
and was known for asking tourists in elevators “are you finding everything
okay?” and listening closely to their response.
After her family, the people of
Chairwoman Millender-McDonald was
an advocate for justice around the world. She spoke out forcefully against the
genocide in
The loss of Chairwoman Juanita
Millender-McDonald is a personal one for many of us here. She was always
optimistic and determined to make a difference. The dignity with which she
faced her illness was an indication of the determination with which she always
served the people of our country. We have all lost an effective leader and
spokeswoman, and many of us have lost a dear
friend.
When we look around this chamber,
it’s almost impossible to imagine it without Juanita here fighting the fight,
and doing so looking magnificent. The dignity, the grace, the beauty, the
thoughtfulness that she brought to the tasks at hand were a model for others.
Young people would come to the Capitol and observe her in action and learn from
her.
We also learned from her how to
have dignity at the end of life. Many of us knew that she had had bouts of
illness, but we really didn’t know how serious it was and how close she was to
what she said, her daughter told me, ‘going home.’ Valerie said to me last
night, she said, ‘I want to make all these arrangements so that I can go home.’
I hope it is a comfort to
Chairwoman Juanita Millender-McDonald’s family and friends that so many people
mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time. Many of us will
travel to
It’s been an honor to call her
colleague – I know we all agree on that. And for many of us it was a privilege
also to call her -- friend.
Goodbye, my friend.